Whose Land is Sacred? Past, Present and Future of Pre-Hispanic Heritage#

Time: 5th March 2025 from 6:00 pm till 7:30 pm
Venue: Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona - La Rambla, 115
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85618817593
Hybrid event, free entry

The dialogue addresses the complex issues of ownership, stewardship, and identity surrounding pre-Hispanic heritage sites, particularly in the Andean world and specifically in Peru where huacas—sacred sites, temples, or natural formations imbued with spiritual significance—are central to indigenous cosmologies and histories. In the pre-Hispanic era, huacas were essential to indigenous communities, serving as sacred spaces for religious rituals, political authority, and cultural continuity. However, with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, many were desacralized, destroyed, or repurposed into Christian sites. The colonial administration imposed European property laws that disregarded indigenous territoriality, leading to the dispossession of native lands and the loss of traditional custodianship over these formerly sacred places. Today, huacas exist in a liminal space between cultural heritage and contested land. Many are officially protected as archaeological sites under national heritage laws, yet many of them are threatened by urban expansion, looting, and inadequate conservation efforts. Indigenous and local communities often claim a cultural and spiritual right to these spaces, yet state authorities typically hold legal ownership and control access. This tension raises ethical and political questions: should the state, local communities, or even international organizations like UNESCO be responsible for safeguarding these sites? Should there be a decolonizing heritage management? How could huacas be restituted? Who can claim ownership among the indigenous descendants of their owners? How can the andean territory be resignified as a transnational common space in the future?

The event is organized by the Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub.

Invited speakers:#

• Kathrin Golda-Pongratz MAE, Architect, urban designer and Professor at the Politechnic University of Barcelona-CataloniaTech and Vicedean of the School of Valles Architecture

• Kirsten Mahlke, Professor at the Department of Literature, Arts and Media Studies, University of Konstanz

Moderator: #

Xavier Pérez, Journalist and Television Collaborator

---